Jan 15th - 31st
15th January
Got up this morning and decided to pack up and possibly head for Norseman in the late arvo in preparation for the pending Nullabour crossing.
Packed up Bus and checked out of caravan park. Went shopping for final provisions and went to town main beach for lunch. Was so windy Mike's roll got blown away from the table we were eating at - The seagulls enjoyed it for lunch though Mike didn't see the funny side! Was planning to spend the afternoon at the beach but due to the wind decided to make an early start on the trip to Norseman.
On arrival in Norseman decided to visit the local pool but it was closed on Monday's for cleaning! Ended up heading for an overnight rest area 5Kms east of town on the beginning of the Nullabor. Wasn't exactly a picturesque place but a comfortable place to spend the night before the big days driving ahead.
16th January
Our friend the road train woke us this morning! Headed into town in the hope of finding a replacement Air filter for the Bus as ours was a little blocked after our 80Km gravel road from Bremer Bay to Esperance! They didn't have one but being a nice bloke he cleaned ours for us.
The start of the Nullabor - What can I say - Lots of road trains and not much else - Traveled 700Kms today! Stopped only for a break some food and diesel. The actual plains were very green - We both expected it to be very dry and boring but there were a fair few trees and some wild life. Towards the end of the drive we were on animal alert watching for Emu's and Kangaroo's, as sometimes Emu's run out in front of the bus - "I Feel like an Emu - How bout you?"
In the end we started passing the time by singing along loudly and badly to AM radio music and trying to make oncoming traffic wave in funny ways!!
Slept the night at another rest area 43Km's short of the WA - SA border.
17th January
Rose early to make a start on hopefully completing our Nullabor crossing today. Headed off straight after breakfast heading for the border. On arrival at the border Bec asked where the fence and or the dotted line she has seen on the map were??!! I had to explain the lines were not always marked but they were there!!
Continued driving and stopped at a couple of places to see the Great Australian Bite cliffs - A very impressive site - Helped to make the drive a little less boring. Stopped at Nullabor roadhouse for lunch as we now had run out of bread and fruit and vegetables because of border restrictions. Bec had a Nully Dog - looked very appetizing.
Bec has figured the best way to pass the time and forget about the boring sites is to sleep so today for here consisted of sleep some lunch and some more sleep - alright for some!
Drove into Ceduna - The largest town since Esperance - They even have a shop here! Bec is convinced after seeing a couple of locals out the front that they may just have had two heads! Stocked up on fruit and veggies and continued onto Perlubie Beach, not the nicest beach but a far cry from the boredom of the 'Nully'
Tomorrow we shall enjoy some of SA's finest and continue down the Eyre Peninsula to some of the nicer beaches etc.
It certainly feels a little funny for us both now - Being out of WA makes this all seem very real and also makes us miss home a little more!!
18th January
Left Perlubie Beach with the intention of seeing some of those nicer beaches we had been told about at Elliston. Though unfortunately the beaches at Ellsiton were about as good as Perlubie! It seems here that there is a very shallow edge to the beach meaning in some areas the water line can be up to 600 metres off shore at low tide and the walk out to the water line is usually over mud rather than sand!
So we continued driving to Port Lincoln as it was 'only' another 120kms further in the hope of finding some of those nice beaches. Unfortunately we were only further disappointed and only found average beaches. The town of Port Lincoln was very nice and its beaches were relatively nice.
Went to the Tourist Bureau and got some info on the local camp areas and decided on Louthe Bay a further 20kms further on as it was by the 'Beach'
Louthe Bay didn’t really have a beach as such more a rocky coastline but it had a jetty and a nice camp area.
On arrival Mike met a guy named Rob or Ron or Rod he cant remember which and he suggested some squid fishing on the jetty so at sunset we headed down and Mike caught two squid - Tomorrow nights dinner!!
19th January
Headed back into Lincoln after breakfast for a look around town and some shopping.
Went back to the tourist bureau and Mike did some website stuff and managed to delete a page and couldn’t replace it as we had exceeded our limits (the reason this is a new web address!) Bec went to the Cheap as Chips shop and got some cleaning stuff for the bus while Mike tried to sort out the website.
Went for some food shopping as we have decided to move on again tomorrow in the hope of finding some nicer coastline and camping (and hopefully weather).
Went back to camp and Mike cooked chilli squid with steamed vegetables for dinner - Bec had a little difficulty eating something she saw squirting ink everywhere last night.
Played cards, had a few drinks and watched some of the DVD's that Dutchy stocked us up on.
Have really enjoyed our time in Lincoln, however we've brought with us similar storms to the ones experienced in Esperance recently - there is a town nearby that saw more rain in 24 hours than it did in the whole of 2006! Hopefully it will pick up soon.
20th January
A relaxing morning a camp prior to packing up and heading North for a quick look at Tumby Bay on our way to Port Augusta. Tumby was rather cute but we didn't stop for long as we'd only travelled 25kms.
Moved on to Arno Bay for lunch to view yet another disappointing beach. Had lunch and decided to push on to Port Augusta. On arrival at Cowell, the next town we were told that the road to Port Augusta was closed so we waited on the side of the road reading our books until the road was opened approx 1 hour later. We were pretty disappointed to find a small patch of water over the road - looks like a case of the SES getting a little excited, they should have seen the water crossing we did on gravel in the bus on the way to Esperance!!
Continued on to Whyalla were we once again found the road was blocked. The whole town has literally been painted red by the local iron ore processing plant - a great look! No free camps were available so we stayed at Foreshore Caravan Park. A really nice park, the weather has eased off a bit so finally Bec had the chance to do 3 loads of much needed washing.
In the mean time Mike was doing his usual socializing with the couple next door (all whilst cooking a roast). A great couple from Geraldton doing a similar holiday to us in their off road camper trailer and 4WD. We have heaps in common so we got to know each other a bit before tea.
21st January
Got up relatively early for us (ie before 9 these days) and headed out to the road closure with Nath and Rach to see what the crack was. The road was now open to vehicles less than 3 tonne and was to be reassessed at 11 for heavy vehicles meaning Nath and Rach could continue their SA adventures. We had started thinking that we were being a bit negative about SA to date until Nath and Rach confirmed our thoughts as they hadn't enjoyed much either - I guess it just comes from living on and near some of the best coast in Aus!!
Packed up and exchanged numbers with our new friends with the promise to catch up soon. Left Whyalla and headed for Port Augusta or as the locals know it Port 'Augutter'. Passed through yet another dull town rather quickly with probably another long day of driving ahead to try and reach Baroota - a camp area in one of our guide books. What was waiting there for us we sure didn't expect. The weather was bad and when we pulled off the main road onto a gravel track for 1km and saw a road closed sign pushed to the verge we contined to the camp site.
On arrival we decided we probably wouldn't stay the night but we would at least park up and have some lunch. Before we knew it the on-site caretaker was approaching the bus and we thought "here we go another busy body" that wants to have a chat. Oh how wrong we were! This guy came to the window and absolutely did his block, asking why we'd come down a closed road and generally just ranting, raving and swearing. (we both though it might end in a whack on due to his extreme aggression) So Mike drove off and accidently as he went around the corner his arm slipped out the window and may just have knocked the sign over. Oops!!
Weren't having any luck finding a nice safe camp spot so continued further on to where we thought our friends may be. After another 200kms and 3kms of terrible off road conditions we arrived at the camp about 2 minutes after Nath and Rach - they were sick of driving too, at this rate we'll be in VIC next week!
We all had dins and a few bevies and decided we'd meet again in Adelaide for some Aussie Day festivities.
Got up this morning and decided to pack up and possibly head for Norseman in the late arvo in preparation for the pending Nullabour crossing.
Packed up Bus and checked out of caravan park. Went shopping for final provisions and went to town main beach for lunch. Was so windy Mike's roll got blown away from the table we were eating at - The seagulls enjoyed it for lunch though Mike didn't see the funny side! Was planning to spend the afternoon at the beach but due to the wind decided to make an early start on the trip to Norseman.
On arrival in Norseman decided to visit the local pool but it was closed on Monday's for cleaning! Ended up heading for an overnight rest area 5Kms east of town on the beginning of the Nullabor. Wasn't exactly a picturesque place but a comfortable place to spend the night before the big days driving ahead.
16th January
Our friend the road train woke us this morning! Headed into town in the hope of finding a replacement Air filter for the Bus as ours was a little blocked after our 80Km gravel road from Bremer Bay to Esperance! They didn't have one but being a nice bloke he cleaned ours for us.
The start of the Nullabor - What can I say - Lots of road trains and not much else - Traveled 700Kms today! Stopped only for a break some food and diesel. The actual plains were very green - We both expected it to be very dry and boring but there were a fair few trees and some wild life. Towards the end of the drive we were on animal alert watching for Emu's and Kangaroo's, as sometimes Emu's run out in front of the bus - "I Feel like an Emu - How bout you?"
In the end we started passing the time by singing along loudly and badly to AM radio music and trying to make oncoming traffic wave in funny ways!!
Slept the night at another rest area 43Km's short of the WA - SA border.
17th January
Rose early to make a start on hopefully completing our Nullabor crossing today. Headed off straight after breakfast heading for the border. On arrival at the border Bec asked where the fence and or the dotted line she has seen on the map were??!! I had to explain the lines were not always marked but they were there!!
Continued driving and stopped at a couple of places to see the Great Australian Bite cliffs - A very impressive site - Helped to make the drive a little less boring. Stopped at Nullabor roadhouse for lunch as we now had run out of bread and fruit and vegetables because of border restrictions. Bec had a Nully Dog - looked very appetizing.
Bec has figured the best way to pass the time and forget about the boring sites is to sleep so today for here consisted of sleep some lunch and some more sleep - alright for some!
Drove into Ceduna - The largest town since Esperance - They even have a shop here! Bec is convinced after seeing a couple of locals out the front that they may just have had two heads! Stocked up on fruit and veggies and continued onto Perlubie Beach, not the nicest beach but a far cry from the boredom of the 'Nully'
Tomorrow we shall enjoy some of SA's finest and continue down the Eyre Peninsula to some of the nicer beaches etc.
It certainly feels a little funny for us both now - Being out of WA makes this all seem very real and also makes us miss home a little more!!
18th January
Left Perlubie Beach with the intention of seeing some of those nicer beaches we had been told about at Elliston. Though unfortunately the beaches at Ellsiton were about as good as Perlubie! It seems here that there is a very shallow edge to the beach meaning in some areas the water line can be up to 600 metres off shore at low tide and the walk out to the water line is usually over mud rather than sand!
So we continued driving to Port Lincoln as it was 'only' another 120kms further in the hope of finding some of those nice beaches. Unfortunately we were only further disappointed and only found average beaches. The town of Port Lincoln was very nice and its beaches were relatively nice.
Went to the Tourist Bureau and got some info on the local camp areas and decided on Louthe Bay a further 20kms further on as it was by the 'Beach'
Louthe Bay didn’t really have a beach as such more a rocky coastline but it had a jetty and a nice camp area.
On arrival Mike met a guy named Rob or Ron or Rod he cant remember which and he suggested some squid fishing on the jetty so at sunset we headed down and Mike caught two squid - Tomorrow nights dinner!!
19th January
Headed back into Lincoln after breakfast for a look around town and some shopping.
Went back to the tourist bureau and Mike did some website stuff and managed to delete a page and couldn’t replace it as we had exceeded our limits (the reason this is a new web address!) Bec went to the Cheap as Chips shop and got some cleaning stuff for the bus while Mike tried to sort out the website.
Went for some food shopping as we have decided to move on again tomorrow in the hope of finding some nicer coastline and camping (and hopefully weather).
Went back to camp and Mike cooked chilli squid with steamed vegetables for dinner - Bec had a little difficulty eating something she saw squirting ink everywhere last night.
Played cards, had a few drinks and watched some of the DVD's that Dutchy stocked us up on.
Have really enjoyed our time in Lincoln, however we've brought with us similar storms to the ones experienced in Esperance recently - there is a town nearby that saw more rain in 24 hours than it did in the whole of 2006! Hopefully it will pick up soon.
20th January
A relaxing morning a camp prior to packing up and heading North for a quick look at Tumby Bay on our way to Port Augusta. Tumby was rather cute but we didn't stop for long as we'd only travelled 25kms.
Moved on to Arno Bay for lunch to view yet another disappointing beach. Had lunch and decided to push on to Port Augusta. On arrival at Cowell, the next town we were told that the road to Port Augusta was closed so we waited on the side of the road reading our books until the road was opened approx 1 hour later. We were pretty disappointed to find a small patch of water over the road - looks like a case of the SES getting a little excited, they should have seen the water crossing we did on gravel in the bus on the way to Esperance!!
Continued on to Whyalla were we once again found the road was blocked. The whole town has literally been painted red by the local iron ore processing plant - a great look! No free camps were available so we stayed at Foreshore Caravan Park. A really nice park, the weather has eased off a bit so finally Bec had the chance to do 3 loads of much needed washing.
In the mean time Mike was doing his usual socializing with the couple next door (all whilst cooking a roast). A great couple from Geraldton doing a similar holiday to us in their off road camper trailer and 4WD. We have heaps in common so we got to know each other a bit before tea.
21st January
Got up relatively early for us (ie before 9 these days) and headed out to the road closure with Nath and Rach to see what the crack was. The road was now open to vehicles less than 3 tonne and was to be reassessed at 11 for heavy vehicles meaning Nath and Rach could continue their SA adventures. We had started thinking that we were being a bit negative about SA to date until Nath and Rach confirmed our thoughts as they hadn't enjoyed much either - I guess it just comes from living on and near some of the best coast in Aus!!
Packed up and exchanged numbers with our new friends with the promise to catch up soon. Left Whyalla and headed for Port Augusta or as the locals know it Port 'Augutter'. Passed through yet another dull town rather quickly with probably another long day of driving ahead to try and reach Baroota - a camp area in one of our guide books. What was waiting there for us we sure didn't expect. The weather was bad and when we pulled off the main road onto a gravel track for 1km and saw a road closed sign pushed to the verge we contined to the camp site.
On arrival we decided we probably wouldn't stay the night but we would at least park up and have some lunch. Before we knew it the on-site caretaker was approaching the bus and we thought "here we go another busy body" that wants to have a chat. Oh how wrong we were! This guy came to the window and absolutely did his block, asking why we'd come down a closed road and generally just ranting, raving and swearing. (we both though it might end in a whack on due to his extreme aggression) So Mike drove off and accidently as he went around the corner his arm slipped out the window and may just have knocked the sign over. Oops!!
Weren't having any luck finding a nice safe camp spot so continued further on to where we thought our friends may be. After another 200kms and 3kms of terrible off road conditions we arrived at the camp about 2 minutes after Nath and Rach - they were sick of driving too, at this rate we'll be in VIC next week!
We all had dins and a few bevies and decided we'd meet again in Adelaide for some Aussie Day festivities.
22nd January
Packed up and left Tippara Rocks (which was literally that, another rocky beach).
Headed to Maitland for a look around and lunch. Our first bought lunch. Two steak sandwiches with the lot, a middy of beer, a fish bowl size glass of Rose` with a salad bar for $16! BARGAIN We had change from the $20 so we headed to the front bar to force feed a couple of one armed bandits (Pokies) Managed to loose our $2, Bec thinks Mike might have a gambling problem (maybe Brad was right!!) We really are bums, Monday lunch time and we're at the pub!
Walked around the quaint little town and Bec managed to trip over the dodgy path and rip half her toe off. Mike played a bit of Doctors and Nurses and took much pleasure from cleaning the open wound with an alcohol swab - Ouch!!
Once again hit the road (so over driving) heading for Port Wakefield but we were again disappointed so decided to head to Gawler, located at the end of the Barossa Valley. FINALLY an enjoyable SA destination and even if the scenery is bad when we get there at least we know the reds will numb the pain!
Parked up in a very dodgy spot for the night on the banks of the Gawler River.
23rd January
Got up early this morning as we weren’t exactly parked in a camping area - more a park!
Headed to tourist centre and got some info on the Barossa and headed off. Stopped at basically the first winery (Kellermeister Wines) we saw which turned out to be a good stop as we found some really nice reds and a special bottle of something else for a friend back in Perth - It is on its way now so the lucky one will find out soon enough.
Continued to the rest of the valley and tasted some nice wines and enjoyed some really nice scenery. Enjoyed lunch in a small cafe in Tanunda.
Had a walk around town after lunch and even stopped at the local Salvo's for a look around for some China for Wendy but no luck!
Visited a couple more wineries in the afternoon then headed for Eden Valley to our planned overnight camping spot.
Camped by the river near the ferry crossing.
24th January
Did some work on the Bus this morning - Removed and re-installed some metal trims near the drivers area to properly attach the vinyl flooring.
Packed up camp and headed for Mannum. A really nice town which seems to be a popular spot for House boats and people holidaying from Adelaide. The town is based around the Murray River with a ferry crossing to get to the side were we camped and where most of the holiday shacks are. The crossing here is so busy they have two ferry's in operation each capable of carrying 10 cars. They operate using cables across the river which run through the ferry's drive system of pulleys and a diesel motor - very interesting.
Had lunch on the Town side of the river and layed in the sun with Charlie and Bec. Did some shopping for food in town as our stocks were getting low after the last couple of days. Caught the ferry across the river and checked out the camping reserves, decided on a spot and setup camp.
Spent the afternoon on the foreshore watching the ski boats and house boats cruising by with a lovely cold beer for Mike and a Barossa Valley wine for Bec, Very Relaxing!
25th January
Left campsite early as the crowds had arrived for the Australia Day long weekend. Went back over to the Manum foreshore. Had breakfast on the grass and watched the $3 Million+ houseboats cruise by! Very relaxing morning.
Spoke with Rach and Nathan and decided to head to Adelaide and find a caravan park for the Aussie day weekend. Drove back through the magnificent Adelaide hills and stopped at the Biggest Rocking Horse - climbed to the top for a great view of the hills and wineries.
Enjoyed the last of the lesser known wineries on the drive into Adelaide.
Checked into Windsor Gardens Caravan Park. Set up camp and found out about the O-Barn a closed system of buses come trains that would take us into the city. Set off for the so called short walk to the bus for an afternoon stroll of the Adelaide streets. Had dinner at a lovely Thai restaurant much to Bec's pleasure at once again getting her own way! (Mike wanted a pub meal)
Went back to caravan park for a rest and prep for the big day ahead.
26th January
Left Caravan park in the morning and headed for Rach and Nath's in Glenelg. Caught one of Glenelg's infamous Trams where Rach picked us up and headed for Brighton Beach. Enjoyed a quick beer on the beach but was very windy so we grabbed some BBQ tucker and headed back to Rach and Nath's camp.
Enjoyed many a beer and laugh with our new found friends had a really top day and night! Bec got herself burnt in the entire 5 mins we were on the beach. We all got into the spirit with Aussie flags, Aussie Tatoo's and Aussie Thongs! Mike told Bec she wasnt allowed to wear her Aussi day shirt as she is not a real Aussie!
Got very messy but all in good fun - Left the Opalinski's and headed for our camp - Got a bum steer on one bus and ended up a good couple of Km's from our caravan park - Mike decided to call everyone in his phone to pass the time!!
27th January
Woke up with a slight!! hangover well Mike did anyway. Bec dragged Mike to the Westfield much to his disgust! Walked around aimlessly for a while and grabbed a few things for the bus. Grabbed a nice greasy feed of KFC for lunch.
Went back to caravan park and watched some TV and tried to fix the website again!!
28th January
Due to leave today but Bec's contact lenses not arriving at OPSM so we decided to head to Glenelg again for some lunch and a stroll around the shops. Had a nice meal at Fasta Pasta, strolled up the streets of Glenelg Bec looking at clothes she didn’t need and Mike looking in camping stores for the next toy for the Bus - a BBQ!
Strolled down to Glenelg Beach and enjoyed a little people watching!!
Another relaxing day
29th January
Bec went into town to pick up contact lenses while Mike packed up camp and a little work on the bus.
Bec enjoyed a few hours of retail therapy in the city! But I suppose a girl needs her shopping time after nearly 5000Km's of no real shops!
Picked Bec up from city and headed south along the Fleurieu Peninsula through McLaren Vale for some more wine tasting. After the wine tasting we headed south heading for Rapid Bay to possibly meet Rach and Nath. On the way we (Mike) stumbled across a micro brewery. What a find - amazing beers and all made from local spring water!! Plus the guy behind the counter - He reminded me of a male version of my nanna Wendy - very talkative and very welcoming (even let Charlie sit at the bar!) and he hated a beer every time he poured a beer to taste he drunk half the stubbie himself! Left with the odd beer or two and headed for Rapid Bay.
Arrived in Rapid to find Rach and Nath already set up so we picked a spot nearby setup and shared a beer and a few laughs. we all had tea and decided to head for the jetty for some squiding. Mike caught 2 squid which were to become tomorrow nights entree.
The jetty forms part of the original copper mine which has since ceased operation and has a very eary feel about it. As the winds picked up and whistled through the old mine Rach started telling us about the movie Wolf Creek - lets just say that we where all a bit spooked out and as it was so cold decided to retire for the night.
30th January
Nath came over this morning and asked us if we'd like to tag alone in the 4WD and go an visit some of the local sights. This was a great experience for us as we'd been driving around everywhere in a 5.5 tonne bus!!
We visited Cape Jervis were the ferry leaves for Kangaroo Island an area we thought we might explore but found that its the most expensive ferry in the world for the distance it covers!
Went to Second Valley Beach and we all went for a snorkel after lunch. The water was freezing but the boys persevered and came back with 8 black lipped Abalone - more seafood for entree! yum
Headed back to camp quickly as we didn't know the laws on catching Abalone and prepared our entree of sweet chilli, garlic and spice seafood. Well done boys.
Another enjoyable night around the camp.
31st January
Another day of Opalinski hospitality with the offer to go out in their 4WD again. Today we explored the Deep Creek Conservation Park hoping to find a nice swimming beach for the girls. Saw some really nice coast line and cliffs but nowhere to swim:(
Instead we headed for Morgan's Beach on recommendation from a local. A very windy day but we found some shelter at the north end of the beach and again the boys decided it was Ab time. The girls sat rugged up in towels on the beach watching a local guy fish in what looked like his sons footy shorts - not a good look mate.
The boys finally came back (just before we set of the search party) with some bull shit story about a SHARK stealing their catch bag which was full of abalone. Bec turned to Rach and asked if she thought they were telling the truth and after seeing Nath laughing into his towel we knew they were bull shitting us - the abs were hid around the corner on some rocks!!
Another meal of seafood and tonight’s abs were huge so the guys had to fillet them 4 ways. Tonight they were BBQ'd in a garlic and lemon pepper because Nath and Rach 'froth' over garlic.
Bec has had company whilst watching Home and Away the last few nights.
A few more beers again tonight - just for a change.
Packed up and left Tippara Rocks (which was literally that, another rocky beach).
Headed to Maitland for a look around and lunch. Our first bought lunch. Two steak sandwiches with the lot, a middy of beer, a fish bowl size glass of Rose` with a salad bar for $16! BARGAIN We had change from the $20 so we headed to the front bar to force feed a couple of one armed bandits (Pokies) Managed to loose our $2, Bec thinks Mike might have a gambling problem (maybe Brad was right!!) We really are bums, Monday lunch time and we're at the pub!
Walked around the quaint little town and Bec managed to trip over the dodgy path and rip half her toe off. Mike played a bit of Doctors and Nurses and took much pleasure from cleaning the open wound with an alcohol swab - Ouch!!
Once again hit the road (so over driving) heading for Port Wakefield but we were again disappointed so decided to head to Gawler, located at the end of the Barossa Valley. FINALLY an enjoyable SA destination and even if the scenery is bad when we get there at least we know the reds will numb the pain!
Parked up in a very dodgy spot for the night on the banks of the Gawler River.
23rd January
Got up early this morning as we weren’t exactly parked in a camping area - more a park!
Headed to tourist centre and got some info on the Barossa and headed off. Stopped at basically the first winery (Kellermeister Wines) we saw which turned out to be a good stop as we found some really nice reds and a special bottle of something else for a friend back in Perth - It is on its way now so the lucky one will find out soon enough.
Continued to the rest of the valley and tasted some nice wines and enjoyed some really nice scenery. Enjoyed lunch in a small cafe in Tanunda.
Had a walk around town after lunch and even stopped at the local Salvo's for a look around for some China for Wendy but no luck!
Visited a couple more wineries in the afternoon then headed for Eden Valley to our planned overnight camping spot.
Camped by the river near the ferry crossing.
24th January
Did some work on the Bus this morning - Removed and re-installed some metal trims near the drivers area to properly attach the vinyl flooring.
Packed up camp and headed for Mannum. A really nice town which seems to be a popular spot for House boats and people holidaying from Adelaide. The town is based around the Murray River with a ferry crossing to get to the side were we camped and where most of the holiday shacks are. The crossing here is so busy they have two ferry's in operation each capable of carrying 10 cars. They operate using cables across the river which run through the ferry's drive system of pulleys and a diesel motor - very interesting.
Had lunch on the Town side of the river and layed in the sun with Charlie and Bec. Did some shopping for food in town as our stocks were getting low after the last couple of days. Caught the ferry across the river and checked out the camping reserves, decided on a spot and setup camp.
Spent the afternoon on the foreshore watching the ski boats and house boats cruising by with a lovely cold beer for Mike and a Barossa Valley wine for Bec, Very Relaxing!
25th January
Left campsite early as the crowds had arrived for the Australia Day long weekend. Went back over to the Manum foreshore. Had breakfast on the grass and watched the $3 Million+ houseboats cruise by! Very relaxing morning.
Spoke with Rach and Nathan and decided to head to Adelaide and find a caravan park for the Aussie day weekend. Drove back through the magnificent Adelaide hills and stopped at the Biggest Rocking Horse - climbed to the top for a great view of the hills and wineries.
Enjoyed the last of the lesser known wineries on the drive into Adelaide.
Checked into Windsor Gardens Caravan Park. Set up camp and found out about the O-Barn a closed system of buses come trains that would take us into the city. Set off for the so called short walk to the bus for an afternoon stroll of the Adelaide streets. Had dinner at a lovely Thai restaurant much to Bec's pleasure at once again getting her own way! (Mike wanted a pub meal)
Went back to caravan park for a rest and prep for the big day ahead.
26th January
Left Caravan park in the morning and headed for Rach and Nath's in Glenelg. Caught one of Glenelg's infamous Trams where Rach picked us up and headed for Brighton Beach. Enjoyed a quick beer on the beach but was very windy so we grabbed some BBQ tucker and headed back to Rach and Nath's camp.
Enjoyed many a beer and laugh with our new found friends had a really top day and night! Bec got herself burnt in the entire 5 mins we were on the beach. We all got into the spirit with Aussie flags, Aussie Tatoo's and Aussie Thongs! Mike told Bec she wasnt allowed to wear her Aussi day shirt as she is not a real Aussie!
Got very messy but all in good fun - Left the Opalinski's and headed for our camp - Got a bum steer on one bus and ended up a good couple of Km's from our caravan park - Mike decided to call everyone in his phone to pass the time!!
27th January
Woke up with a slight!! hangover well Mike did anyway. Bec dragged Mike to the Westfield much to his disgust! Walked around aimlessly for a while and grabbed a few things for the bus. Grabbed a nice greasy feed of KFC for lunch.
Went back to caravan park and watched some TV and tried to fix the website again!!
28th January
Due to leave today but Bec's contact lenses not arriving at OPSM so we decided to head to Glenelg again for some lunch and a stroll around the shops. Had a nice meal at Fasta Pasta, strolled up the streets of Glenelg Bec looking at clothes she didn’t need and Mike looking in camping stores for the next toy for the Bus - a BBQ!
Strolled down to Glenelg Beach and enjoyed a little people watching!!
Another relaxing day
29th January
Bec went into town to pick up contact lenses while Mike packed up camp and a little work on the bus.
Bec enjoyed a few hours of retail therapy in the city! But I suppose a girl needs her shopping time after nearly 5000Km's of no real shops!
Picked Bec up from city and headed south along the Fleurieu Peninsula through McLaren Vale for some more wine tasting. After the wine tasting we headed south heading for Rapid Bay to possibly meet Rach and Nath. On the way we (Mike) stumbled across a micro brewery. What a find - amazing beers and all made from local spring water!! Plus the guy behind the counter - He reminded me of a male version of my nanna Wendy - very talkative and very welcoming (even let Charlie sit at the bar!) and he hated a beer every time he poured a beer to taste he drunk half the stubbie himself! Left with the odd beer or two and headed for Rapid Bay.
Arrived in Rapid to find Rach and Nath already set up so we picked a spot nearby setup and shared a beer and a few laughs. we all had tea and decided to head for the jetty for some squiding. Mike caught 2 squid which were to become tomorrow nights entree.
The jetty forms part of the original copper mine which has since ceased operation and has a very eary feel about it. As the winds picked up and whistled through the old mine Rach started telling us about the movie Wolf Creek - lets just say that we where all a bit spooked out and as it was so cold decided to retire for the night.
30th January
Nath came over this morning and asked us if we'd like to tag alone in the 4WD and go an visit some of the local sights. This was a great experience for us as we'd been driving around everywhere in a 5.5 tonne bus!!
We visited Cape Jervis were the ferry leaves for Kangaroo Island an area we thought we might explore but found that its the most expensive ferry in the world for the distance it covers!
Went to Second Valley Beach and we all went for a snorkel after lunch. The water was freezing but the boys persevered and came back with 8 black lipped Abalone - more seafood for entree! yum
Headed back to camp quickly as we didn't know the laws on catching Abalone and prepared our entree of sweet chilli, garlic and spice seafood. Well done boys.
Another enjoyable night around the camp.
31st January
Another day of Opalinski hospitality with the offer to go out in their 4WD again. Today we explored the Deep Creek Conservation Park hoping to find a nice swimming beach for the girls. Saw some really nice coast line and cliffs but nowhere to swim:(
Instead we headed for Morgan's Beach on recommendation from a local. A very windy day but we found some shelter at the north end of the beach and again the boys decided it was Ab time. The girls sat rugged up in towels on the beach watching a local guy fish in what looked like his sons footy shorts - not a good look mate.
The boys finally came back (just before we set of the search party) with some bull shit story about a SHARK stealing their catch bag which was full of abalone. Bec turned to Rach and asked if she thought they were telling the truth and after seeing Nath laughing into his towel we knew they were bull shitting us - the abs were hid around the corner on some rocks!!
Another meal of seafood and tonight’s abs were huge so the guys had to fillet them 4 ways. Tonight they were BBQ'd in a garlic and lemon pepper because Nath and Rach 'froth' over garlic.
Bec has had company whilst watching Home and Away the last few nights.
A few more beers again tonight - just for a change.